With a location tucked away on Market Street, co-owners Michael and Dana Kelly decided to create a new dining concept near the Tomball Historic Depot Plaza to help attract more customers to the area.

“When you’re off the beaten path, you have to become a destination,” Michael said. “You have to offer more than just food—you have to offer the experience.”

The couple opened Brautigams Bar N Grill last April. The Kellys began offering food, drinks and live entertainment to customers as an extension of the atmosphere from their other business, The Empty Glass, located next door.

The restaurant is named in tribute to the Brautigams, one of the founding families of Tomball.

“[With the Brautigam name,] it builds that mystique over time and people realize this isn’t just a Chili’s or an Applebee’s,” Michael said. “It’s a place that’s got some meaning to it that ties back to the history of the community.”

In addition to participating in many of Tomball’s annual city festivals throughout the year, Michael and Dana also wanted to bring an entertainment aspect to the area. Brautigams offers live music on weekends, weeknight happy hours and NFL watch parties during football season.

“Everybody’s looking for some kind of nightlife, and we’re trying to bring more of that to downtown Tomball without people having to go to Houston or The Woodlands,” Dana said.

Brautigams is open for lunch and dinner daily and serves an eclectic
menu, including filet mignon, rainbow trout and chicken cordon bleu, which won best entree at the 2015 Tomball Business and Professional Women Fall Food Fest.

“We were excited about that—being the new kids on the block,” Dana said.

The bar offers a selection of handcrafted cocktails, wine and craft beer from local breweries, including Karbach Brewing Co. and 11 Below Brewing. Dana said they hope to expand bar service to the patio area and increase outdoor seating on the building’s wraparound porch.

“It’s a relaxing environment where you can kind of get away from it all for awhile,” Michael said. “There are very few living communities like Tomball, so to be able to promote that and foster it is kind of what we wanted to do and hope to continue to do.”

Hot off the Grill

• Kickin’ chicken: The meal includes blackened chicken breast served with peppers, onions, jalapeno and pepper jack cheese ($10.99, lunch only).• Salmon filet: The dish is served with a choice of two sides and fresh-baked rolls ($20.99, dinner only).• Patty melt: The meal features an 8-ounce Angus patty served with grilled onions and Swiss cheese on sourdough bread ($9.99, lunch only).• New York strip: The 12-ounce steak is served with a choice of two sides and fresh-baked rolls ($24.99, dinner only).

A Houston native and graduate of St. Edward's University in Austin, Wendy Cawthon has worked as a community journalist covering local government, health care, business and development since 2011. She has worked with Community Impact since 2015 as a reporter and editor and joined The Woodlands edition in 2017.